Swedish hockey players boycott goes ahead, talks planned

STOCKHOLM (AP) — Female hockey players in Sweden will go ahead with their boycott of an international tournament in Finland because of their unhappiness about pay and working conditions.

Sweden was to play its first game of the Five Nations Tournament on Wednesday against Japan in Vierumaki, but the squad of 43 players will be absent. They refused to attend a five-day training camp in Sweden last week.

Anders Larsson, chairman of the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation, says the boycott is damaging the brand of the country’s hockey team and is a failure for both the federation and the Swedish team.

The players say they are unhappy about the lack of compensation they receive while on duty with the national team and have complained about things like travel conditions, the vision for women’s hockey in Sweden and a perceived lack of respect.

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